The Tim Ferriss Show #846: Permission to Do Nothing — Guided Meditation with Zen Master Henry Shukman
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Jan 12, 2026 
Henry Shukman, an authorized Zen teacher and guided-meditation instructor, shares insights on meditation and its profound impact on mental well-being. He emphasizes the importance of doing less to access inner peace and guides listeners into gentle meditation practices. Through poetry and thoughtful instruction, Henry invites everyone to embrace stillness, drop performance pressures, and discover the restorative power of doing nothing. The conversation is an enlightening mix of practical meditation techniques and soothing reflections to help recharge your mind.
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Meditation As Non-Doing
- Meditation can be a practice of doing less rather than applying techniques or striving to perform.
- Henry Shukman invites awareness of an intrinsic peaceful well-being that appears when we stop doing.
Settle Into Comfortable Stillness
- Sit comfortably with an upright, balanced posture and relaxed hands to support stillness.
- Close your eyes or lower your gaze and intentionally unplug from daily activities to create a refuge.
Give Yourself Permission To Do Nothing
- Let go of the need to perform and allow meditative awareness to arise by itself.
- Use brief periods of doing nothing as a reset to restore energy and reduce anxiety.